Every family deserves to live in a clean and orderly home, but the products that allow every home to remain clean and disinfected can also pose some unique health risks to you and your family. These products that contain hazardous chemicals, while masterful at disinfecting surfaces and killing germs, must be treated with caution both in use and in storage. Many families tend to overlook these safety precautions, which can cause serious harm to young children or pets. This post will detail the ways in which your family can stay safe while keeping the home as clean as it deserves to be.

The first step in the process is making sure that these products’ labels are read and understood fully before use. The labels of these products are expected to include all of the information necessary to properly use them. Directions for use, safety information, and even storage tips are likely to be found on every label. However, as many families know, a number of these products are used sparingly, and thus last for extended periods of time. As such, their labels may fade and become unclear over time. One way to combat this is to apply new labels to these products, or to retain the information in the home somewhere if the label begins to fade.

In addition to being cautious with learning how these products are used, it is important to take responsibility in learning how these products are properly stored. Most of the storage information will also be found when reading the label, but unfortunately many families will not have the space required to store these products properly. Many products won’t require utmost consideration for caution, but the products that do should always be kept in places that your child or children are incapable of reaching them or finding them entirely. Many families will have separate storage caddies for products that can be used by the entire family, typically kept somewhere convenient, and for products that should be used by adults stored somewhere much more hidden.

The third and final step is understanding how to properly dispose of these chemical products. This is particularly important if you have curious children or pets who often find their way into the garbage in the home. What a number of people might not know, is that not every cleaning product used in the home is meant to be thrown away in the trash similarly to food products. In fact, many towns and cities offer free guidance on how to safely dispose of these products. For some, that is designated disposal places in their area. Whatever the case maybe, be weary of simply throwing these products into the trash in your home.

With spring just around the corner, there’s no better time for a spring cleaning session of your home’s chemical products. If you were interested in learning more about the storage solutions available to your family for these many products, be sure to continue reading on to the infographic coupled alongside this post for more safety information.  Within it, more specific suggestions are included for the sake of your family.

Author bio: Lynn Place is Vice President of Marketing for SolvChem Custom Packaging Division. She has 30 years of professional experience in the manufacturing industry and specializes in consumer packaged goods, new product development and strategic planning.